Ep 20: Local Partners on USAID's Localization Initiative

Today on The Aid Market Podcast, Mike Shanley is joined by Catalina Escobar, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of MAKAIA and Awele Okigbo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Credo Advisory. Today's discussion focuses on the concept of localization in development work, particularly in the context of USAID partnerships. Catalina Escobar and Awele Okigbo, share their perspectives on what localization means to them, the role of local partners, and the importance of empowering local actors in driving change and development interventions. Tune in today to hear from local partners with their perspective on USAID's localization initiative, locally-led development, and how to best work with local partners.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:12] Awele and Catalina share their thoughts and perspective on localization and the importance of when and how local partners are involved in the project's development and implementation.

• [05:30] Catalina shares what being a local partner means.

• [07:45] Awele believes that a local partner has a vested interest in the project because it is their community.

• [12:45] Catalina explains why it is critical to know the local systems and local policies, which can take years.

• [16:45] Awele discusses areas of USAID's success and areas for growth in their localization efforts. How can other donors successfully incorporate this growth into their programs?

• [18:37] Catalina touches on strategy vs implementation. On paper, implementation can look straightforward, however the act of implementation can be more challenging.

• [27:28] Catalina breaks down the 5 principles of the Paris Declaration, which she believes are crucial for local development. She then explains how localization is measured and reported and what she will be looking at in 2024 to monitor and see how the conversation around localization is evolving.

• [30:37] Awele shares what she will be looking at to see how the localization conversation and priorities are evolving throughout 2024.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Localization is leveraging local actors and experts to become leaders. Localization involves recognizing and incorporating local knowledge, expertise, systems, and politics in project design and implementation. Nobody knows the community more than the members of the community and it is paramount that USAID includes local partners in the early stages of planning and implementation.

• Localization is meant to foster the empowerment of communities while building capacity and leveraging their social systems and structure to equip them with the resources and ability to become leaders. This is why it is crucial to increase the percentage of funds going to local organizations and ensure diversity in the organizations receiving international funding to avoid concentration of resources in a few entities.

• There is a need to measure the impact of development efforts not just in terms of successful project delivery but also in terms of how the local economy and talent pool have improved over time, highlighting the importance of local expertise and knowledge building.

RESOURCES:

Aid Market Podcast

Aid Market Podcast YouTube

Mike Shanley - LinkedIn

Catalina Escobar - LinkedIn

Awele Okigbo - LinkedIn

BIOGRAPHIES:

Catalina Escobar, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, MAKAIA is a Civil society leader and social entrepreneur with more than 23 years of experience in social sector, digital development and international cooperation. During six years, Catalina worked with the World Bank managing web related projects that promote collaboration and knowledge sharing. She has led MAKAIA since its inception in 2006 and during 11 years, transforming an idea into an organization that has served thousands of people, non-profits and social projects in Latin America. Since June 2017, Catalina has held a different role in MAKAIA, as Chief Strategy Officer with the objective of designing the long term strategy of the organization. She has a Mechanical Engineering degree, an MBA, a specialization in International Cooperation for Development, and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management.

MAKAIA (www.MAKAIA.org) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes capacities for social development through cooperation, technology and innovation. MAKAIA´s work is implemented based on two pillars: (1) Technology for Social Change, (2) International Cooperation and Partnerships. In 2013 MAKAIA developed www.nodoka.co, a data and information driven initiative to promote resource mobilization, knowledge sharing and effectiveness in social sector. MAKAIA has worked with thousands of social organizations and people in Colombia and Latin America.

Awele Okigbo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Credo Advisory is a leading strategic and development communications consultancy based in Abuja and Washington, DC. She is also the Host of Credo Voices, a podcast that highlights inspiring stories of everyday heroes – ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The podcast is a growing global community of change agents driving the Sustainable Development Goals.

For over 25 years, she has led communications teams to raise awareness, build trust and effect change for institutions, including the United Nations, the United States Agency for International Development, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a World Bank consultant, Awele has experience working in Nigeria, Jordan, Sudan, Zambia, Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania and Kazakhstan, delivering reform communications programmes. In 2012, she was appointed as a Technical Advisor to the Presidential Task Force on Power and, in 2020, to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 by the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Before her consultancy work, she spent seven years with the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, supporting the launch of strategic operations in over 90 countries through communications and stakeholder engagement. In 2022, Awele was nominated and inducted into the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Community in recognition of being a changemaker catalysing action toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

She is a regular industry speaker and a board member of the Thacher School, a co-educational boarding school in California that fosters academic excellence, character development, and community culture.

Married with four children, Awele is an avid cyclist, a culinary enthusiast, and fluent in French. She is passionate about women's and children's rights.